Jeff Duncan: Gun registry like Rwanda

Rep. Jeff Duncan on Thursday likened a national gun registry to the Rwandan genocide in a Facebook post that began with his opposition to expanded background checks.

“Ask yourselves about a National gun registry database and how that might be used and why it is so wanted by progressives,” the South Carolina Republican wrote. “Read about the Rwandan genocide, the Hutu and Tutsi tribes. Read that all Tutsi tribe members were required to register their address with the Hutu government and that this database was used to locate Tutsi for slaughter at the hands of the Hutu.”

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“I use this example to warn that national databases can be used with evil consequences,” he added later in the post.

Duncan opened his Facebook post arguing that “Expanded background checks and gun show requirements would have had NO effect on stopping Aurora, Sandy Hook or Tucson. Nor would they have any effect on the violent gun-crime in Chicago.”

He instead called for a tough approach to crime and greater discussion of mental health issues, as well as of “Liberty.”

Duncan’s comments came as the Senate voted on Thursday to move forward with a debate over gun legislation. Universal background checks look to be a key issue after Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) found a bipartisan compromise on the issue. Some Republicans have expressed concern that record-keeping that could be involved with background checks might lead to a national gun registry.

“To blame the firearm, or a certain size magazine, or type of ammo - for the tragedies that have occurred in this nation is like blaming the knife used to kill Nicole Brown Simpson or the machetes used to slaughter a million Tutsis in Rwanda,” Duncan wrote.

Allen Klump, Duncan’s spokesman, pushed back when asked whether it was appropriate to invoke genocide in a political debate.

“I think the congressman wrote rather extensively on this topic,” he told POLITICO. “I believe if anyone reads what he wrote in its entirety, it’s absolutely clear he was addressing concerns with a national gun registry. He also makes clear why he used that example.”